Fortune's Wheel: The First Meonbridge Chronicle

Fortune's Wheel: The First Meonbridge Chronicle

How do you rebuild a community devastated by the Black Death? An immersive story of loss, resilience, and the fragile ties that bind people together. It’s June 1349. In Meonbridge, a Hampshire manor, the plague has gone at last, leaving behind anguish and bewilderment. Many have lost their lives, amongst them Alice atte Wode’s beloved husband and Eleanor Titherige’s widowed father. Even the family of the manor’s lord and his wife, Margaret de Bohun, has not entirely escaped. But, for the survivors, new tensions arise. With so many of their fellow workers lost, those left now realise their labour is more precious––surely, they can demand higher wages and dictate their own lives? The old order between lord and tenants is beginning to crumble. When the tensions deepen into violence and disorder, the men––lord and villagers alike––seem unable to find a resolution. So the women––Alice, Eleanor and Margaret––must step forward to find a way out of the conflict that threatens to tear Meonbridge apart. “ A thoroughly researched book, with care given to ensuring that the characters have 14th-century attitudes and knowledge… gives a strong sense of the reality of the past .” — Catherine Meyrick , author of Forsaking All Other If you enjoy absorbing human drama, authentic medieval settings, and strong but credible female characters, you will love Fortune’s Wheel , the first book in THE MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES . " Exceptionally well written...astoundingly well researched...grab yourself a copy and get list in an altogether different time. "Brook Cottage Books @BrookCottageBks " This is probably in my top 5 favorite books this year...The writing in this novel blew me away! a wonderful spin on history. Overall I give this book 10 out of 5 stars ." Laura H., NetGalley & The Reading Wolf " Completely intriguing, fascinating and surprisingly emotional...more please! " The Book Magnet @thebookmagnet " An accomplished, fascinating historical fiction novel - and an impressive debut ." What Cathy Read Next, @Cathy_A_J " Well written, gripping and satisfying. I loved this book. " Kate O., NetGalley " Historical fiction at its best! " Jeannette S., NetGalley " Would be a great book for a book group! " Ruth M., NetGalley CAROLYN HUGHES has lived much of her life in Hampshire. With a first degree in Classics and English, she started working life as a computer programmer, then a very new profession. But it was technical authoring that later proved her vocation, as she wrote and edited material, some fascinating, some dull, for an array of different clients, including banks, an international hotel group and medical instruments manufacturers. Having written creatively for most of her adult life, it was not until her children flew the nest several years ago that writing historical fiction took centre stage, alongside gaining a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton. Fortune's Wheel is the first MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLE.